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Xbox Live Countdown to 2013 daily deal: Crazy Taxi, Banjo Kazooie and more
Today's daily deal on Xbox Live includes sales on six games as part of a "family games" theme. Two XBLA games, Crazy Taxi and The Splatters, can be downloaded for 200 Microsoft points each today, a 75 percent savings on their original 800 point prices.The other six games come straight from the Games on Demand section, and include Toy Story 3 and Crash of the Titans for $9.99, half off from the original $20 price for either game. Cars 2 is $19.99 today, while Banjo Kazooie Nuts and Bolts is $9.99, both 33 percent off. The Xbox Live Countdown to 2013 promotion will keep rolling with sales for the next few days, so these deals are only good for today.
New family-friendly Xbox 360 Arcade bundle and game discounts at Amazon
There's still over a month of spring left -- that's plenty of time for a new "spring 2010" Xbox 360 bundle to join the Spring 2010 Elite set! Amazon has taken the wraps off a new Arcade bundle, featuring two of Rare's recent, weird 360 games: Viva Piñata and Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts. The family-friendly package, shipping May 7, sells for the same $199.99 as the standalone Arcade unit -- which makes it a good deal even if you would only use the games as trade-in or eBay fodder. But if it's family games you're after, you can get them on the cheap right now. Amazon is also offering a buy one, get one half-off deal on a selection of family-oriented 360 games, including Pure, Lego Rock Band, and Sonic's Ultimate Genesis Collection. [Thanks, Tom!]
Xbox 360 Platinum Hits lineup adds Halo Wars, Orange Box and others
Xbox.com has listed several new games as Platinum Hits, including Fable II (aka Game of the Year Edition), Halo Wars, Left 4 Dead, The Orange Box, Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts, Ninja Gaiden II, Kung-Fu Panda, Sonic's Ultimate Genesis Collection, Sonic The Hedgehog, and Sonic Unleashed. A Microsoft PR agent couldn't confirm the full list of new Platinum Hits (are we missing any above?), but said that if a game is listed as such on Xbox.com, it's a Platinum Hits title. The changes seem to have taken effect on major retailer sites, as GameStop and Amazon now reflect the discounted Platinum prices (if not always the the Platinum Hits branding), which range from $20–30. With Orange Box requiring only one Jackson ($20), it's now literally a crime to not own it. Conversely, if you're dead-set on committing a crime, buy someone Sonic The Hedgehog or Sonic Unleashed at $20 each. [Thanks, Stephen]
Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts now on demand
Though we're on record as saying that a bear with a bird in his backpack is objectively a pretty stupid thing to make a game about, we're also able to admit that Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts is a gem that didn't get the credit it deserved. If you had been holding off because you were worried about the GameStop clerk looking at you like a weirdo, you'll be happy to hear you can now indulge your most taboo desires as the bird-backpack wearing bear has made his way to Games On Demand. Go ahead ... your secret's safe with us. Shortcut: Purchase and add Banjo-Kazooie: N&B to your Xbox 360 download queue [via Xbox.com; $19.99 in US]
Yahuh! Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts soundtrack out tomorrow
If you're in the market for a delightfully bouncy orchestral video game soundtrack, then we've got some good news for you. Sumthing Digital will be offering the official Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts soundtrack starting tomorrow. We've sampled a few tracks and can confirm that it is most definitely delightfully bouncy and orchestral. All kidding aside, it's actually a pretty decent soundtrack, and certainly better than a lot of the other game music out there.The soundtrack will also be available from Amazon, and can currently be pre-ordered for $13.99, nearly two bucks off the $15.98 list price. As Rare states on its website, "Nobody has an overabundance of vehicular bear music in their library right now, so this deserves a shot."Source - Sumthing DigitalSource - Amazon
Banjo-Kazooie Nuts & Bolts DLC trailer is bumming us out
We really hope the new Banjo-Kazooie Nuts & Bolts DLC, "L.O.G.s Lost Challenges," sells a lot of units. No, we don't have any financial stake in Rare or Microsoft, we just hope they can afford a better trailer than the one we've embedded just above. Honestly, with that font and those production values, it looks more like an Olive Garden training video on making the perfect pasta than an advertisement for a game published by the world's largest company. So, on April 7th, won't you please spend 400 MS points for 250 achievement points, 12 new challenges, 7 new multiplayer games and the satisfaction of knowing an up-and-coming studio won't have to post such a depressing trailer ever again? We think it's well worth it. %Gallery-48930%
Banjo-Kazooie DLC on the way, Achievements on Xbox website
At the beginning of this month, a posting on the forums of Banjo-Kazooie developer Rare lead us to believe that we'd be seeing more content for the game a lot sooner than today. Whether we were mislead or simply employing the jumping to conclusions mat too liberally remains to be seen, but today the list of achievements for Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts on Xbox.com has been amended with 250 extra points, hinting pretty heavily at directly confirming the upcoming DLC and laying out details for some of it.One such achievement, titled "L.O.G. Master" tasks the player with winning "all of the new multiplayer games" (emphasis on "new") while another, titled "Halfway Home," confirms the inclusion of "L.O.G.'s Lost Challenges" in the as-yet-unannounced content. While this achievement list certainly solidifies the future release of more Banjo-Kazooie content, we would certainly appreciate some more detail. So we reached out to Microsoft for comment and got this in return:"Yes, these Achievements are connected to my upcoming add-on pack for Nuts & Bolts, but don't go thinking that this is all I have in store for you. Oh no, I have a few other tricks up my sleeve ... but looks like you eager gamers will just have to wait until the Day of Fools to learn more."Looks like we're waiting 'til April 1st for all the hard facts. While this is a better response than "No Comment," is a straight answer too much to ask?[Via CVG]
Rare hints at Nuts & Bolts 'LOG's Lost Challenges' DLC
In its own coy way, Rare is teasing that Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts DLC is in the works and that we'll actually receive details next week. According to a post by the Lord of Games (L.O.G.) on Rare's official website, we're told that Nuts & Bolts "news on potential lifespan-lengthening activities will be incoming very soon" and are given a "LOG's Lost Challenges" image. We ain't no smarty-pants geniuses, but if we had to take a guess at what L.O.G. is talking about, we'd go with DLC that boasts new vehicle building and task-based challenges. Now that we think about it, the Banjo-Kazooie Contraption Contest Rare held back in December may have something to do with this content. We wouldn't be too surprised to see the winner's creation as a part of next week's announcement.
Amazon assembles $20 Banjo: Nuts & Bolts deal
Today's Amazon.com video game Deal of the Day is none other than Rare's Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts and Bolts, which has been reduced to $19.98. While some may see the reduction in price as a sign that Amazon.com wants to unload its unwanted Nuts and Bolts inventory, we're optimists in this situation. We predict the game has been such a success that most every 360 owner already has the title, so (to secure a few more game purchases) Rare partnered with Amazon to sell Banjo's latest adventure at a 50% discount. Hey, we never said we were logical optimists. [Via Aeropause]
NPD: Console exclusives performed with mixed results in '08
According to the NPD, a good exclusive does not necessarily equal good sales. The group has collected data for 2008's exclusives on each platform and, well, there have been some under-performers. On the Xbox 360 side, Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts was a disappointment, selling only 140,000 units. The other exclusive on Microsoft's console, Fable 2 (Joystiq's GOTY), was more of your traditional success story with a respectable 1.2 million copies sold.And what about the industry-leading PS3? We already know MGS4 sold extremely well, but the same cannot be said (yet) for LittleBigPlanet and Resistance 2, both of which seemed to perform lower than expectations; LBP sold 611,000 copies in North America while R2 unloaded 600,000 units. As for Nintendo, well ... it won. It always does. Last we heard, Nintendo stopped making games and was in the process of building a Kirby-shaped Death Star to orbit the planet.
High calorie Banjo-Kazooie and Viva Pinata cakes
Looking for a festive and fun video game themed cakes to consume or just admire? Look no further than Washington based Cake Fixation, the creators of both the Viva Pinata: Trouble in Paradise and Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts themed cakes you see above. Note the attention to detail, expert use of royal icing and all those yellow cutout jiggies. And that Horstachio, it's pure edible genius! [Thanks, James C.]
Banjo Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts SDTV fix released
Still playing your Xbox 360 on a non-HDTV or, like some of us at EHD, sticking out the holidays at a relative's where standard definition is the only option? Good news, the Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts title update went live earlier this week, rendering things readable, even under the most trying of circumstances. Now, getting your console online at your dial-up only, WiFi-less, out of 3G range cousin's house is the only problem left, until that's solved hit up Xbox 360 Fanboy for comparison shots of the original and newer, bigger text.
Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts gets text-enlarging patch
A recent patch lets you make the text bigger in Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts.
Rare releases text enlarging Nuts & Bolts update
Without much of an announcement, Rare just released a Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts title update that fixes the game's smallest biggest problem, the small text. Yes sir, the Nuts & Bolts small dialog text issue has been resolved! After the title update is installed, a new "Large Dialogue Text Option" is available under the game display options on the main screen. Once this box is checked, the game's dialog text is embiggened. Or, if you're a purist, you can keep the small text by keeping the option unchecked. You can see the difference in text sizes in our nifty screen comparison gallery below. Thanks Rare! %Gallery-39816%
Contraption contest, earn eternal Nuts & Bolts fame
Rare just sent word that they're holding a Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts contest where they're looking for the coolest, most innovative and funkiest vehicular contraption. And they'll be rewarding those contraption creators who can impress. The Nuts & Bolts Contraption Contest is relatively simple. From now through January 4th, create the most impressive Nuts & Bolts vehicle possible. Then, once complete, upload a picture of the vehicle to the Showroom. When all entries are in, Rare will look through all submissions and pick the top seven. These seven l33t contraptors will be awarded a mystery prize that'll be something along the lines of "in-game immortalization" that "could earn you a genuine place in Banjo history." Sounds bragalicious.
Deal time: Snag Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts for $26
Considering Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts debuted at $39.99, it was already quite a bargain as far as Xbox 360 games go. Gamers are frugal people, though. They have to be, as gaming is an expensive hobby, after all. With this in mind, we present you with one heckuva deal on Banjo's latest adventure. Amazon currently has the game on sale for a paltry $25.99. Even better, it qualifies for free shipping. If you've been waiting to get your hands on the generally well received build-em-up / platformer, now's your chance.[Via Evil Avatar]
Video: Banjo visit the Eiffel Tower
After the break, we bring you your random video of the day. The setup: Banjo the bear (from Banjo-Kazooie, of course) has back rent piling up, so he decides to go visit Jinjo in Paris, France. While in Paris, Banjo decides to take in the sights, visit the Eiffel Towel and wander about. Then, suddenly, he spots a Jiggy and must find a way grab the golden puzzle piece while breaking free of traditional platformer restraints. Did we mention the video is live action and features a dude in a bear costume?
General Banjo-Kazooie XBLA release delayed until Dec. 3
Microsoft has come bearing (GEDDIT? BECAUSE BANJO IS A BEAR) bad news, notifying 1UP that the general Xbox Live Arcade release of Rare's classic N64 platformer, Banjo-Kazooie, has been delayed until Dec 3rd. It would appear the high-res re-release has been pushed back in order to extend the period of exclusivity, granted to those who preordered vehicular adventure Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts and failed to receive their bonus XBLA download codes.Microsoft is currently "investigating" the holdup, urging customers who did not receive a redeem code to contact their retailers' customer service departments. That's always a grizzly task. GEDDIT? BECAUSE GRIZZLY IS A TYPE OF BEAR AND BANJO IS A BEAR. Gallery: Banjo-Kazooie (XBLA)
Rare drops Battletoads, Killer Instinct gags in Banjo-Kazooie
You're going to be seeing this picture circulated a lot in the coming days, so we just wanted to get out in front of it for you. Yes, the above image, which hints at new Battletoads and Jet Force Gemini games, can be found in Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts and Bolts. But no, you should absolutely not take that to mean that any of those games are actually coming. It says as much in the image itself, but that won't stop the internet from crushing itself under the weight of its own excitement. As recently as today, Rare talked about how its next project is going to surprise people. We're not sure that points to a lot of its franchises being revived. ... We can still hope though, right? [Thanks, Justin; via GameTrailers]
Rare set to accept Nuts & Bolts challenges
With Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts making its way to retail, team Rare is stepping up to the multiplayer plate and will be swinging at anyone who dares take them on.On Sunday, November 23rd from 3-5:00PM eastern, members of the Rare dev team will be on Xbox Live sporting a stylish pair of sunglasses and will be taking on any and all Nuts & Bolts challengers. As a bonus, you'll have the chance to earn the "What's That Smell?" achievement for playing against any Rare member or (for the less cool) playing with someone who already has. Good luck and show Rare that X3F fanboys take no mercy.
